Better Health Standard: Achievements Of Quality Of Medicines Program

A celebration for 5-year achievements of Quality of Medicines (PQM) program took place in Nay Pyi Taw on Wednesday.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in partnership with the Department of Food and Drug Administration under the Ministry of Health and Sports implement the PQM activity with 1.4 million dollars fund, and the activity will end in December this year.

PQM provided training and equipment to the National Pharmaceutical Chemistry Laboratory in Nay Pyi Taw.

Deputy Director General, Department of Food and Drug Administration, Khin Chit said “We have been provided training to differentiate counterfeit and sub-standard drugs in border areas and regions and states with the use of mini-lab which can check 99 types of medicines. We provided these mini-labs not only to FDA but also to other organizations like Public Health.”

The Lab achieved ISO 17025 accreditation in 2016, a milestone that highlights MOHS’s institutional commitment to reform and its effective utilization of international technical assistance.

Program Coordinator, Promoting the Quality of Medicines Program, M. Patricia Gaitan said "For five years, we've committed to work with them and the improvement of the processes and the procedures. The laboratory is now function accredited and we are very very proud of them."

The Lab supports the Myanmar National Strategic Plan for Malaria, which aims to reduce the availability of falsified and substandard drugs that could have a negative impact on the treatment outcomes for malaria patients or be a driver of multi-drug resistance to malaria.

Mission Director, U.S. Agency for International Development, Teresa McGhie said " We've also been able to significantly reduce the amount of counterfeit and sub-standard drugs that are on the market in Myanmar. So, that results in better health and better treatment for all the people of Myanmar."

In addition to PQM support, the USAID Private Sector Development Activity is supporting to develop a food safety law, a medical devices law, and automation of the food control system. USAID also supported the Myanmar civil society organization, Food Science and Technology Association (FOSTA).